fynk raises €3.1m to revolutionize contract management

Our Journey: From Frustration to Innovation

The idea for fynk was born in late 2021, during a retreat in the serene Dolomites. Dominik and I were reflecting on our experiences at Prescreen.io, the cloud-based HR platform we founded, scaled, and eventually sold to XING for €22 million. We had firsthand experience with the pains of managing legal documents without proper tools—endless email chains, version confusion, and wasted time. We knew there had to be a better way.

fynk early stages — Early sidebar screenshot of what later became known as “fynk”

Dominik in Dolomites — Dominik and dozens of flipchart pages with early concepts in the Dolomites

fynk first office — The aim was to work with a view. Goal achieved.

Motivated by this challenge, we decided to dive back into the startup world, teaching ourselves to code from scratch using the latest technologies. In April 2022, we officially founded fynk, with Markus joining us, reuniting an even bigger part of the original founding team from Prescreen. With our combined strengths and a shared vision, we set out to build a solution that would make a real difference for businesses like ours.

fynk early editor — Early screenshot showing our Editor and comment UI.

fynk first office unboxing — New era - new office. IKEA likes this.

Reimagining Legal Workflows for Non-Legal Teams

Legal documents have remained static and cumbersome for too long. Traditional contract management systems are often complex, expensive, and designed for large legal teams, leaving non-legal teams struggling with inadequate tools.

At fynk, we’re changing that. We’re bringing AI-driven legal workflows to non-legal teams, making enterprise-level tools accessible to all businesses. Our platform is intuitive and user-friendly, designed to simplify the creation, review, signing, and analysis of contracts. Powered by innovative AI technology, we transform static documents into actionable insights, enabling teams to work more efficiently and make informed decisions. Our goal is not just to streamline processes but to create an experience that teams genuinely enjoy.

Building a Strong Team and Growing Together

Rowdy first day of work — Rowdy in his work uniform.

First fynk meeting in the extended team — First meetings in the “extended” early team.

fynk old meeting room — This stayed a meeting room for less then 2 weeks it feels, then Lukas and Ben joined and we ran out of space.

As our vision took shape, we knew we couldn’t do it alone. Over time, we’ve grown our team by bringing on board more experts, many of whom we’ve had the pleasure of working with before at Prescreen and other companies. It all started with Lukas and Ben, who joined us at the beginning of 2023 in our first tiny office in Vienna. Their expertise and shared passion for innovation have been invaluable in driving fynk forward. We also have Lukas to thank for for introducing us to Rowdy for the first time back then.

This close-knit team, built on trust and past collaborations, has allowed us to move quickly and efficiently. We’re not just colleagues—we’re a group of professionals who have shared successes and challenges before, making our mission even more meaningful.

Dominik Quiet Zone — Creativity is the key when there is no silent zone in the office for calls.

Markus on moving day — But at some point, you just have to move.

And with every new office comes a new opportunity for better branding.

As we continued to grow—in both team size and ambition—we quickly outgrew that initial space. Moving into a new, larger office symbolized more than just a need for physical space; it reflected our increasing clarity of vision and our commitment to delivering a better product. Along the way, we secured a €1.25 million pre-seed financing round, which provided us with the resources to refine our platform and incorporate invaluable insights and experiences gained from our early adopters.

fynk new lobby — The first fynk lobby that feels like this will be big.

Choosing the Right Partners

Selecting the right investors was a crucial part of this funding round. I first met Peter Lasinger from 3VC almost a decade ago, and I’m incredibly happy we can now join forces. Peter and the 3VC team have already proven to be impactful partners, deeply understanding technology and focusing on creating real value—not just chasing shiny objects. Their genuine commitment aligns perfectly with our vision.

fynk meets 10x Founders — Joining the 10X Founders lounge at Bits & Pretzels 2024.

I also just returned from three amazing days in Munich, where I had the pleasure of meeting most of the 10x Founders team, including Jessica Lieber and Julian Wachtel. They represent a new breed of venture capitalists—founder-driven, supportive, and fostering a vibrant community. From day one, we felt warmly welcomed and knew they were the right fit for us.

fynk and preseed investors — Together with preseed investors Clemens and Lisa shortly after signing the seed round.

Our existing investors’ continued participation speaks volumes about their conviction in our mission. Hansi and Lisa, Moritz and Clemens, Kai, Stefan, Domagoj, Alexander, Ignaz, Manuel, Andreas … it’s only been a few months, but it feels like our personal tightly knit group of go-to supporters already. Their renewed commitment means the world to us and reinforces our determination to deliver on our promises.

Growing Together with Our Customers

Today, fynk serves over 100 international companies, and we’ve processed hundreds of thousands of documents—a number that’s growing rapidly. Our customers report saving up to 90% of the time they used to spend on contract-related tasks.

One of the most rewarding aspects of our growth has been witnessing the “fynk effect”: when one team within a company adopts our platform, other teams quickly follow. This organic expansion underscores the real value we’re providing and fuels our passion to keep innovating.

Our Vision: Smarter Workflows for Everyone

From the outset, our vision was to empower businesses to quickly scan archived documents and external contracts for risks and deviations. With this latest round of funding, we’re turning that vision into reality.

Our mission is clear: to make enterprise-level legal tools accessible to all businesses. We believe that companies shouldn’t have to deal with static, hidden contracts. Instead, they should leverage the valuable data within them—making documents searchable, reusable, and trackable.

playbook feature fynk — Teaser showing an early version of the upcoming playbook feature.

document list in fynk — Now that is a nice looking document list.

What’s Next for fynk

With the €3.1 million seed round, we’re poised to accelerate product development and expand our international presence. While our current customer base is primarily in the D-A-CH region, our platform is available in both German and English already, and we’re excited to bring fynk to businesses around the globe. We’re also investing in deeper AI integration and developing more connections with the everyday business tools our customers rely on.

Gratitude and Looking Forward

It was truly rewarding to spend the past few weeks and months in inspiring and insightful conversations with many of the big names in the VC ecosystem. Even when discussions didn’t result in investments—which, by nature, can’t happen every time—we learned so much about our market and refined our vision.

fynk phone booth — This phone booth is were we spent most of our days in fundraising mode this summer.

Now, we’re eager to shift into execution mode. Personally, I’m excited to dive back into the code (home is where the heart is) and work closely with our team to deliver on our promises.

Join Us on This Journey

fynk team 2024 — The growing team of fynk looks forward to what comes next.

And we will make sure everyone hears about it.

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re filled with gratitude and excitement for what’s ahead. We’re committed to delivering on our promises and continuing to innovate for our customers.

Whether you’re interested in becoming a customer, a partner, or joining our team, we’d love to hear from you. Together, we’re building the future of document workflows.

We look forward to bringing you the future, one document at a time.

Constantin Wintoniak

Co-founder & CEO, fynk

Please keep in mind that none of the content on our blog should be considered legal advice. We understand the complexities and nuances of legal matters, and as much as we strive to ensure our information is accurate and useful, it cannot replace the personalized advice of a qualified legal professional.

Tags: #Fynk #Startup

Date published: October 2, 2024